Disk drives are digital data storage devices which can enable users of computer systems to store and retrieve large amounts of data in a fast and efficient manner. A typical disk drive includes a plurality of magnetic recording disks which are mounted to a rotatable hub of a spindle motor and rotated at a high speed. An array of read/write transducers is disposed adjacent surfaces of the disks to transfer data between the disks and a host computer. The transducers can be radially positioned over the disks by a rotary actuator and a closed loop, digital servo system, and fly proximate the surfaces of the disks upon air bearings.
A plurality of nominally concentric tracks can be defined on each disk surface. A preamp and driver circuit generates write currents that are used by the transducer to selectively magnetize the tracks during a data write operation and amplifies read signals detected by the transducer from the selective magnetization of the tracks during a data read operation. A read/write channel and interface circuit are connected to the preamp and driver circuit to transfer the data between the disks and the host computer.
The servo system can operate in two primary modes: seeking and track following. During a seek, a selected transducer is moved from an initial track to a destination track on the corresponding disk surface. The servo system applies current to an actuator coil to first accelerate and then decelerate the transducer toward the destination track.
As the transducer approaches the destination track, the servo system initiates a settle mode to bring the transducer to rest over the destination track within a desired settle threshold, such as a percentage of the track width from track center. Thereafter, the servo system enters the track following mode wherein the transducer is nominally maintained over the center of the destination track until another seek is performed.
As will be appreciated, a disk drive is primarily utilized to transfer data between the tracks of the disks and the host computer. Such data transfer operations usually cannot occur during a seek, but rather require the drive to be in track following mode. Hence, to maximize disk drive data transfer rate capabilities, disk drives can attempt to obtain minimum average seek times. However, the forces that can be exerted on the actuator to obtain minimum average seek times can cause vibration of the actuator and the disk drive. In particular, forces that can be exerted on the actuator can cause energy to be stored in the compliant mounting structure of the cabinet in which the disk drive is mounted. Such forces may be returned to the disk drive in the form of rotational vibration (also referred to herein as seek wind-up, which is a form of post-seek oscillation), which may cause the transducer to move away from a desired location on the disk.
Vibration in a disk drive may also be caused by rotation and spinning of other hard disk drives mounted in the same mounting frame, and/or may be imparted from other sources that are mechanically coupled to the disk drive. Techniques have been developed to address such vibration. In particular, acceleration feedforward techniques have been developed in which a signal detected at a vibration sensor mounted on the disk drive is added to a position error signal in a servo control loop.